Chess FAQ

Our most frequently asked questions

Joining Chess

1. Do I need a BT landline to enjoy your services?

No, we can work with any type of landline across the UK or we can install a new one for you.

2. Do I need to cancel my existing contract?

Cancelling an existing contract with your current provider may incur a significant charge. Speak to us on 0800 019 0194 so we can review your current services - we may be able to buy you out of your existing contract.

3. What happens when I sign up to Chess?

We will contact your existing telecom provider and request a transfer of your service. We will send you a welcome letter containing a summary of your order and how you can register for your personal customer portal. Your existing supplier will also write to you informing you that you are cancelling your service with them.

4. What is NBOP (Never Beaten on Price)

We can do a no obligation bill analysis for you so you can see how much you will save by switching to us. Our NBOP scheme guarantees the cheapest tariff by matching any provider and offers you the best price available.

Account and Billing

Our invoices are generated in most cases monthly unless agreed in advance.

2. When will I receive my Bill?

You will normally receive your Bill mid-month the following month.

3. When will I receive my first bill?

We will invoice you around the 12th of the following month after transfer date. Please note that you may also receive a bill from your previous supplier for service prior to transferring to Chess.

4. Why have I been charged more than one month’s line rental?

If your services have gone live mid-way through a month then you will be charged for the part of that month together with a month’s line rental in advance.

5. How do I pay?

Direct Debit- You can complete and return a Direct debit mandate click HERE to download or alternatively you can call our dedicated team on 0844 770 4226 to set this up over the phone (you could save £79.20 a year)

Online payment - You can also make a secure payment online by clicking HERE

The date the direct debit will be collected is shown on the front page of your invoice, this is normally around the 25th of each month.

8. Can I change the date that the direct debit comes out of my account?

Unfortunately not, we currently only have one direct debit collection date for the monthly invoices.

9. When do I need to pay in order to avoid late payment charges?

By the last day of the month

10. Why is my bill different this month?

There may be different reasons for this. For example, you may have upgraded your service or changed your tariff. On rare occasions, we may have decreased or increased our charges, which we would have informed you of via email or post in advance.

It is your secure remote access to our website where you will be able to view your bills and manage your account.

13. Where can I find my account number?

Your account number can be found on your invoice, if you are unsure then call our dedicated Customer Service team on 0844 770 6060.

14. How do I do register for the customer portal?

It’s easy, all you need is your account number (format ABC1234) and to click HERE.

15. How do I change the name or address on my account?

Speak to our Dedicated Customer Service team at 0844 770 6060 and we will guide you through the process.

Contract

1. I have seen a cheaper price elsewhere. Can you beat it?

Yes. Our Never Beaten on Price guarantee ensures we are the most competitively priced provider of Business Telecoms. Read more about NBOP HERE

2. How do I cancel my contract?

If you feel you can get a better price somewhere else, we can beat it. Why not call our Loyalty team on 0800 288 8966

Phone Lines & Calls

1. How long would it take to install a new line?

The average time required for a line installation are as below. The time is estimated from the day of contract agreement and subject to there being availability line plant to serve your premises with our Supplier.

Product type

Service level agreement

Single Analogue line

10-15 days

Multiline

10-15 days

ISDN2

15-20 days

ISDN30

15-20 days

Broadband (depending on product type)

05-15 days

We use BT Openreach engineers and installation is subject to their availability, customer location and weather conditions. As we deal with so many variables sometimes installation can be quicker, or take longer. Whatever the circumstances we strive to offer the best experience for you, and make sure our services match your needs.

2. How long does it normally take to transfer my services to you?

It all depends on the type of order, OFCOM states that Transfers of Fixed Lines is 10 working days, ADSL is 5 working days unless migrating to Full LLU (MPF) then is 10 working days as the Line is Transferring too.

3. I am moving premises, can my numbers be retained?

First of all we need to look at the location of your new premises to see whether you are remaining within the same Telephone Exchange Area as in most instances where this is the case, there is no issue in retaining your number. For those instances where it is not possible or, where you are moving to a location within a different Telephone Exchange Area, there are other Services that will allow you to retain your number. You can either direct or forward any calls to your new Service and number and where you have retained your number, in most cases you may be able to present out your old number from your new Service so that your Customers will not notice that you have relocated.

4. How do I divert calls from my phone?

With our Call Diversion service you can divert calls to another landline or mobile when you are away. Different products may involve different procedure so please refer to your instruction manual or contact our dedicated Customer Service team on 0844 770 6060.

Broadband & Internet

1. How fast is your broadband?

We have a range of different Broadband Services to suit our Customer’s needs. The speed of your ADSL Service is directly dependent on the distance you are from the Exchange that serves your premises, this is not the same for Fibre Optic Broadband. See our broadband packages HERE or speak to our broadband experts on 0844 019 0194.

2. Is there a maximum capacity to your service? Is there a limit on the amount of computers that can use it?

Our broadband services vary in scale depending on our customers’ needs. We can tailor our Products and Services to suit every Business in the UK.

3. Is fibre optic broadband available in my area?

Thanks to the growth in this field, 75% of the UK can now get fibre optic broadband. If you’re not sure if your area has fibre optic broadband then contact us and we can let you know instantly. If this Service is not available to you then we have various alternative options that will still provide you with an excellent service, at the best possible speed.

4. Do you provide a router?

Yes, we can provide a router, contact us today to discuss how we can be of assistance, many of our Broadband Packages usually include a free router.

5. What speed should I be getting from my broadband?

If you want to know what speeds you are getting go to http://www.speedtest.net/ - If you are still unsure then you can contact our tech team.
National speeds average at 14mg for Superfast fibre and 6meg for standard connection.

Fault

1. I have a fault on my line, what do I do?

If you’re having difficulty making or receiving calls, there may be a problem with your telephone line, your equipment or within the Exchange. Follow the steps below to see what you can do to either resolve or identify where the problem lies.

If you can make calls okay but cannot receive them, try calling your number from another telephone or a mobile to see what the result is.

If you can receive calls okay but cannot make them, lift up your Telephone receiver and check whether you have a dial tone, if you do but you still cannot dial out is this happening to every number that you dial, if it is then try dialling 1280 followed by the number you are calling to see if the call connects, if it does then the issue is within the Network.

If you still cannot make an outgoing call after inserting 1280 then you need to carry out the following basic checks :-

That your Telephone cable hasn’t accidentally disconnected from the socket or has been damaged.

That the volume hasn’t been turned down on your Telephone.

If the Telephone has a base unit that requires mains power, is it plugged in and working.

If your Socket is an Extension Socket, you need to locate the Master Socket, it is usually located where the Telephone Line comes into the premises, if there is a Telephone already connected try making a call from that Telephone, this will localise the fault to your Extension Telephone or Socket if the call connects.

If you're still having problems, move onto the next section below.

Unplug all equipment plugged into your Master Socket. These can include :-

Telephones, Fax Machines, Card Payment Terminals

Your broadband router, micro filters for your broadband connection

Extension leads, adaptors/double adaptors

You also need to remove the lower half of your Master Socket Faceplate (that your Telephone cord plugs into), remove the two screws and pull it away from the Main Box, this will remove any internal cabling that may be connected to the Master Socket. Plug your Telephone cable directly into the socket that the Faceplate was plugged into, this connects you directly with the incoming line. Try making a call, if you still cannot dial out and connect a call, if this has fixed the issue, then replace the Faceplate, plug each piece of equipment back in one by one, checking the phone line each time to see if a fault occurs. If this reveals one of your pieces of equipment to be causing the problem, please contact the manufacturer of the faulty equipment.

If this has not resolved the issue and you still believe you have a faulty line then call our customer support team on 0844 770 4219 who will be happy to help you further.

2. I have a fault on my broadband, what do I do?

Before contacting us, please check your phone line.

Lift your telephone receiver to your ear and check whether you have a dial tone.

If there is no dial tone or the line is noisy then this may indicate a problem with the line, follow steps in point 1 I have a fault on my line, what do I do?

If the line appears to be fine then try the below before calling:-

Unplug the router from the mains, leaving a minimum of 30 seconds before plugging it back in & restarting your PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone or any other device you are connecting

Change the broadband micro filter

Swap the ADSL cable and/or Ethernet cable if used

Disconnect anything else attached to the telephone line such as card and fax machines

Your Router must be connected to the BT Master socket with no extension lead. Broadband is unreliable on extension sockets. If you master socket is not in a convenient location we can get this moved for you. Give us a call on 0844 770 6000.

This could potentially resolve the issue before you call us, however, if you are still experiencing problems then please call our customer support on 0844 770 4219

3. My internet is extremely slow?.

The most likely cause for this is actually internal contention or equipment issues. Before calling please remove all devices from the router and connect a single device using an Ethernet cable and restart the router. If you run a speed test now at speedtest.btwholesale.com this should give you a more accurate reflection of the speed to your router. We cannot control issues with throughput to your individual devices.

4. How long does it take to repair a fault?

This depends on your care level, the nature of your fault, your premises location and also Openreach engineers’ schedule. Chess strives to deliver our services to you as efficiently as possible. If you want more details or you would like to upgrade your care level speak to our customer support team on 0844 770 4219.

Level

Engineering working times

Description / SLAs

Single Analogue
Basic (Res)

Single Analogue/
Multi Line Premium

ISDN2 Premium

ISDN30 Premium

1
Basic Lines Only

Mon - Fri (Excl Bank Hols)
08:00-18:00

Clear by 23.59 day after next, For example, report Tuesday, clear Thursday

FOC

N/A

N/A

N/A

2

Mon - Sat (Excl Bank Hols)
08:00-18:00

Clear by 23.59 next day, example, report Tuesday, clear Wednesday

£0.65 per month

N/A

N/A

N/A

3

Mon -Sun
(Inc Bank Hols)
07:00-21:00
Mon - Fri
08:00-18:00 Sat - Sun

Report 13.00, clear by 23.59 same day. Report
after 13.00 clear by 12.59 next day, seven days
a week, including Public and Bank Holiday.

£4.50 per month

£3.75 per month

£3.75 per month
(Per Line which = 2 Channels)

£2.50 per month
(per channel)

4

Mon - Sun
(Inc Bank Hols)
24/7
365 days a year

Clear within 6 hours

£5.75 per month

£4.80 per month

£4.80 per month
(Per Line which = 2 Channels)

£2.75 per month
(per channel)

5. What if I need to log a fault out of business hours?

Not a problem, we are available to receive and log your fault 24/7, 365 days a year, you can call our customer support team on 0844 770 4219

Support and Maintenance

1. Why do I need phone system maintenance and support?

In case you have an Emergency, there is a planned repair or for general cover, our engineers are on-call to resolve you system issues, giving you peace of mind. For more details please visit our Phone System Maintenance page HERE.

2. Is there any backup plan in case my business lines fail?

Our Disaster Recovery plan allows you to divert your calls from any location, to anywhere, at any time – the perfect backup solution for your business.

3. What is your service level agreement?

Our award winning customer service team are available Monday to Friday 8am until 7pm.

4, Who should I contact if I have any service issues?

You should be provided with a dedicated customer service team on 0844 770 6060.